Endangered Ecological Communities

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The Lane Cove municipality has
six vegetation communities that are listed as endangered ecological communities
under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995. Three communities
(Blue Gum High Forest, Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest and Hygrocybeae Fungi) are also listed as
Critically Endangered Ecological communities under the Commonwealth
Environmental Protection and Biodiversity conservation Act 1999.

Estuarine Salt Marsh

Coastal Saltmarsh is an Endangered Ecological Community
found along the Lane Cove Estuary. It occurs in the intertidal zone on
the shores of estuaries and lagoons that are permanently or intermittently open
to the sea. In Lane Cove, this vegetation is frequently found on the landward
side of mangrove stands, though mangroves can occasionally be found scattered
through saltmarsh areas. To find out more about saltmarsh along the Lane Cove
Estuary, refer to the reports and maps below.

Estuarine Swamp Oak Forest

Occurs on the fringe of the Lane Cove River Estuary, normally
slightly above the tidal inundation zone. There are several remnant patches
totalling 3.7ha. It typically forms a band between Estuarine Saltmarsh or
Mangrove Forest and terrestrial vegetation communities.

Coastal Freshwater Swamp Forest

Occurs on a small and low lying plain, slightly above the tidal
inundation area. It is subject to waterlogging from fresh to slightly saline
water. Only one small remnant of 0.3ha occurs in the Lane Cove Local Government Area.

Coastal Escarpment Littoral Rainforest

Occurs along the riparian zone of almost all creeks in the Lane
Cove area totalling 7ha generally on clay soils derived from shale layers. The
majority of Lane Cove sites possess a tall schlerophyll canopy with at
least one of the following species: Blue Gum, Blackbutt and/or Turpentine. As
such this community is closely aligned to Blue Gum High Forest and Sydney
Turpentine Ironbark Forest.

Blue Gum High Forest

Occurs in just 2 locations totalling
1.2ha. This vegetation community would have once covered considerable areas of
the now urbanised shale caps. There is less than five percent of the original
Blue Gum High Forest left in the Sydney basin bioregion and it is listed as
critically endangered under Commonwealth law to help prevent further decline.

Typical threats to this vegetation
community in the Lane Cove LGA are urban run-off (which leads to increased
nutrients and sedimentation), weed invasion, and inappropriate fire regimes
(which have altered the appropriate floristic and structural diversity).

Sydney Turpentine Ironbark Forest

Only small areas remain totalling 6.3ha on the edges of Blue Gum
High Forest, Coastal Escarpment Littoral Rainforest and Coastal Enriched
Sandstone Forest. It is also listed under Commonwealth law as being critically
endangered and suffers similar threats to Blue Gum High Forest.

Hygrocybeae Community of Lane Cove Bushland Park

Thanks to the excellent work of Dr Ray and Elma Kearney (Sydney Fungal Studies Group Inc), there has
been an extremely significant discovery in Lane Cove Bushland Park. At least 27
species of Hygrocybeae fungi discovered in the area have given rise to the
community being declared critically endangered under state legislation. In addition to
this, Lane Cove Bushland Park has also been listed on the Register of the
National Estate by the Commonwealth Heritage Commission as a site of national
significance.